Occupational Therapy License from Illinois to Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy), verify your Illinois license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants submit 'verification of a professional credential in occupational therapy' (18VAC85-80-36), and the Board's application page tells applicants to have NBCOT send 'certification of credentials' directly to the Board; the underlying exam rule (18VAC85-80-50) requires evidence of passing the NBCOT certification exam. The sources read do not say that CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No Virginia jurisprudence exam applies (the Commission lists Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required')..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This is an endorsement move with a benefit attached. Illinois is outside the issuing group, so no privilege applies; you apply to the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) for a Virginia license, with NBCOT passage verified rather than retaken. If you then live in Virginia, that license can anchor privileges in the other issuing states.
What changes, Illinois → Virginia
| Illinois (current) | Virginia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | OT Compact member — compact privilege to practice |
| Application fee | The endorsement fee is set in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1315 but does not appear in IDFPR's OT qualifications document, and the Illinois General Assembly rules site refused connections on 2026-09-27, so the amount could not be verified. | $130 (initial OT license fee under 18VAC85-80-26 (OTA $70); non-refundable. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Virginia privilege: $75 OT / $40 OTA state fee under 18VAC85-80-26(A)(10), plus the $75 Commission fee).) |
| Processing time | IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt | no processing time found; the Board of Medicine's site (dhp.virginia.gov) was unreachable from this environment on 2026-09-27 |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) | Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Virginia's current requirements on the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, active OT license in good standing in a U.S. jurisdiction or Canada.
- Have NBCOT send certification of your credentials directly to the Board.
- Have your school send verification of your ACOTE-accredited professional education (transcript) directly to the Board.
- Submit a current National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query report.
- Have license verification sent from every jurisdiction in which you have been issued an OT license.
- Pay the fees ($130 (initial OT license fee under 18VAC85-80-26 (OTA $70); non-refundable. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Virginia privilege: $75 OT / $40 OTA state fee under 18VAC85-80-26(A)(10), plus the $75 Commission fee).)) and allow no processing time found; the Board of Medicine's site (dhp.virginia.gov) was unreachable from this environment on 2026-09-27.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Illinois occupational therapy license in Virginia?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy), verify your Illinois license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants submit 'verification of a professional credential in occupational therapy' (18VAC85-80-36), and the Board's application page tells applicants to have NBCOT send 'certification of credentials' directly to the Board; the underlying exam rule (18VAC85-80-50) requires evidence of passing the NBCOT certification exam. The sources read do not say that CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No Virginia jurisprudence exam applies (the Commission lists Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required')..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Illinois to Virginia?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants submit 'verification of a professional credential in occupational therapy' (18VAC85-80-36), and the Board's application page tells applicants to have NBCOT send 'certification of credentials' directly to the Board; the underlying exam rule (18VAC85-80-50) requires evidence of passing the NBCOT certification exam. The sources read do not say that CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No Virginia jurisprudence exam applies (the Commission lists Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required').
How much does a Virginia OT license cost for someone licensed in Illinois?
$130 (initial OT license fee under 18VAC85-80-26 (OTA $70); non-refundable. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Virginia privilege: $75 OT / $40 OTA state fee under 18VAC85-80-26(A)(10), plus the $75 Commission fee).).
How long does Virginia take to process the application?
no processing time found; the Board of Medicine's site (dhp.virginia.gov) was unreachable from this environment on 2026-09-27.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Virginia?
Not for this move. Virginia issues privileges, but only to therapists whose home state is also issuing; Illinois is not. A Virginia license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Virginia Board of Medicine — Occupational Therapy application wizard (Internet Archive copy, captured 2025-10-07; dhp.virginia.gov unreachable) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 18VAC85-80-36 — Licensure by endorsement requirements (eff. December 3, 2025) (Internet Archive copy of law.lis.virginia.gov, captured 2026-05-17) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 18VAC85-80-26 — Fees (Internet Archive copy of law.lis.virginia.gov, captured 2026-04-21) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 18VAC85-80-50 — Examination requirements (Internet Archive copy of law.lis.virginia.gov) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Virginia accepting applications since March 20, 2026; $75 OT privilege fee; jurisprudence not required) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- IDFPR, Occupational Therapy profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- IDFPR, Qualifications for Licensure: Occupational Therapist (056, effective 02/2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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